Don't Stop Running
by Hieirulesall
Summary: When news comes in that Gai died in a mission, the first step is to tell his team. How will they take it? How...will Lee take it? Oneshot. Character death, but does not occur in story.


I'm not entirely sure where this idea came from. I was just sitting there, finishing my summer homework (blegh), when suddenly the thought popped into my head. At first I wasn't going to write it, but eventually I decided to, just to see what happened. Afterwards, I decided I liked it, so here it is. It's just a one-shot, not a whole story or anything, but still.

Warnings: character death (that's pretty much it, I don't think there's even any swearing in it...)

Don't Stop Running

It was late morning when Neji received a message telling him that the hokage wished to see him. The day, not too hot or too cold, was perfect for training and the Hyuuga huffed at being called away from his training when it was so nice out. But, of course, he would never disobey Tsunade simply because he didn't feel like it. After all, she could be giving him a mission, which would be even better for him than training on his own.

Leaving his favorite training spot, he quickly arrived at the Hokage Tower. Even quicker was his arrival in front of Tsunade's office door. Neji entered it, looking respectfully at the leader of their village. He was very surprised by the look on her face.

She seemed…sad, but it was more than that. He also saw…pity? Why was that? White eyes narrowing in suspicion, the Hyuuga glared at her. "Why did you call me?"

"I have called your entire team," Tsunade said with a sigh. "But as it seams the others are taking a bit longer, so…I'll tell you now. As you know, your sensei, Maito Gai, was sent on a mission several days ago with several other jounin. His single surviving teammate returned last night to-"

"What do you mean single surviving?" Neji interrupted, eyes widening. His voice was cold and angry.

"His teammate returned, carrying the bodies of one of the other team members and…your sensei. He has been pronounced dead by our med-ninjas."

"What do you mean dead!" Neji shouted. This…this couldn't happen. Not to Gai. Not to Gai! His sensei was amazingly strong; Neji knew that. Despite believing his teacher to be clinically insane, Neji had never doubted the jounin's strength. "How could he die!"

"From what I've been told and what I can tell, he and his team mates ran into two extra-ordinarily powered ninja. His remaining team mate is in the hospital at the moment and only survived because the enemy had lost interest. Your sensei has several burns on his body, but it seems much of the cause of death came from stress; possibly it was a jutsu that causes one's body to go into shock or some incredibly powerful genjutsu."

Neji grit his teeth and looked down. How could this have happened? He didn't…he just couldn't comprehend how his sensei had lost. Lost to genjutsu? Gai's rival was the copy ninja Kakashi! How could anyone have just…

The door opened and Tenten walked in looking confused. Upon seeing Neji, she looked to him for answers, only to have him turn his head away. "Tsunade-sama…what is it?"

Once more the hokage sighed. She again repeated what she had told Neji, though she went without interruptions. Tenten gasped quietly as she struggled to keep the tears from her eyes. Despite her efforts they came down full force and eventually she gave up the fight. Hugging her arms to her chest she sobbed silently.

Despite his ravings and his insane behavior, Gai had still been her teacher. After a while she had almost grown used to his and Lee's behavior; they even made her laugh. She had never met anyone she thought was stronger than her sensei, besides the previous and current hokage and maybe Kakashi. It seemed impossible to imagine that he was gone. That he would never come to teach them anything…that he would never talk to them of the power of youth again…

Just then the door burst open with a bang.

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" came Lee's cheerful voice. "What have you called me for? Is there anything I can…" just then Lee's voice died out as he saw Tenten looked up at him with alarm, tears streaming down her face and as he saw the equally horrified look of Neji as the Hyuuga looked up at him, face even more serious than usual.

"What is wrong?" he asked worriedly. "Tenten, someone has made you cry! Tell me who it was, I will not let them get away with…" again his voice faded away as the girl began to shake her head frantically, tears streaming even faster down her face. "What happened?"

"Lee…" Tenten tried to talk but couldn't go on. Eyes closed, she turned her head to the floor.

Lee ran towards her and put her hands on her shoulders. "Tell me what is wrong! What happened?" He was becoming frantic now and the attitudes of his teammates were really scaring him. He could sense that they were very upset. What could possibly have made them this upset? He turned his head towards Neji. While the Hyuuga's views were often misguided and lacking in youth, the white-eyed ninja had never knowingly lied to him. Had never attempted to deceive him. Never. It was for this reason that he turned to him now. "Neji…what's going on?"

"Lee…Gai is dead," Neji finally answered him, lifting his head up to look Lee straight in the eyes. It was said with the same direct absoluteness that accompanied everything the Hyuuga said. Yet this time, there was an understanding there. There was no scorn, nor the desire to cause pain. Neji was telling him what he believed to be an absolute fact. Lee couldn't understand why he was using that tone while saying something so absolutely ridiculous and hurtful.

"What?" Lee's voice came out as a squeak as his arms dropped from the shoulders of his teammate who would not look him in the eye. "That is not funny Neji," Lee said, voice serious as he turned so he was facing his rival and teammate. "Even if Gai-sensei hasn't returned yet, he will. No one is stronger than Gai. They have no way of knowing if he is dead or not. He-"

"They…they have his body Lee," Tenten's voice came sadly from behind him.

"They what?" Lee's voice had gone squeaky again. A look of utter anguish crossed his face. "That…is not funny," he suddenly said, voice serious and threatening. His head was tilted towards the ground causing a shadow to cross his eyes. "It is not true…I will not believe that what you say is possible. He cannot be dead."

"Lee, I'm sorry to tell you that it is true," Tsunade told him, finally speaking up. "I have looked at the body myself and it is your sensei. Gai died last night in battle, his surviving teammate brought his body back." Apparently this was not the right thing to say.

"NO!" Lee screamed, tilting his head up. "You are not telling me the truth!" his voice was high-pitched and hysterical now.

"Lee!" Tenten cried.

"HE'S NOT DEAD!" the young ninja screamed as loudly as possible, fleeing from the office almost as soon as the words had left his mouth.

The green-clad ninja ran as fast as he possibly could, hardly looking where he was going. It didn't matter that he had his weights on; the restraint felt better as he pushed to get the energy out. His teacher couldn't be dead, he just couldn't be. This thought played itself over and over in Lee's mind amid the confusion of thought and wild emotions. Gai was too strong to just die!

He had promised to make Lee into a splendid ninja! He had promised to help him make his dreams come true or to die with him if the dream proved impossible. Lee was not done learning! There was still so much his sensei had left to teach him! So far he still had to go! Still so much he had left to accomplish! They had been a team…he had been like a father to him. Gai had meant…

Everything hurt, it was all too much to take. His chest felt as if it would explode, as did the rest of his body. It burned. It froze him on the inside. This feeling threatened to consume him if he didn't stop running. He couldn't stop.

If he stopped, it would be like admitting he couldn't run anymore.

If he stopped, it would be like showing that he couldn't go all the way.

If he stopped, it would mean that they had all been right about his from the start.

If he stopped, it would mean that it had all been for nothing.

If he stopped, it would prove all that time had been wasted.

If he stopped, it would prove everything so far had been a lie.

If he stopped, it would never have been worth it.

If he stopped, it would never come true.

If he stopped, things would never be the same…

If he stopped, he admitted that the most important person in his life…

…was dead.

AN: Love it? Hate it? Like I said, this wasn't really a planned out story, just something that came to me, but I'd still like to hear people's opinions on the story. So, tell me what you think...


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